Table hockey game



April 8, 1941.

D. S. HENDE FISON TABLE HOCKEY GAIE Filed 001;. 26," 1939 65336 wing a Patented Apr. 8, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TABLE HOCKEY GAME Douglas S. Henderson, Boston, Mass., assignor of one-hall to Harriet E. Cole, Taunton, Mass.

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a table hockey game. @ne object of my invention is to provide a table hockey game which has dummy player members so constructed and operably positioned that one person can readily hold and actuate or otherwise control two of said player members at once. Another object is to provide an improved construction for this type of game that enables the game to be played in a more compact space and that provides a greater degree of direct control over the dummy player members thus intensifying its character as a game of skill rather than luck.

Heretofore this type of game has been of such construction that its cost of manufacture placed its purchase beyond persons of ordinary means, and one object that accompanied all my other objects was to so simplify the construction oi. this game that its cost would'be within the reach of persons of ordinary means, and at the same time make it attractive and convenient.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and operative arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawing and specification. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I am not to be limited to said disclosure; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

in the drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of my tabl hockey game Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line l-l oi Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line t-t of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the construction of a. goal and end portion of my game.

As illustrated there is a playing board Ill, which inclines downwardly in opposite directions from the center of said board It towards the two ends, so that a round ball B, that is used to play the game with, always rolls towards one goal or another. Said playing board III has a center spot or circle I l on which the ball is dropped to start the game.

Four holes [3 extend through said playing board in in the locations shown, in which player members P rotatably fit, these being the instruments with which the ball B is stopped and also used to lrive said ball in the direction of a goal G at the opposite end of said board It. Said player members P are so positioned near the ends of said board II) that they can be directly manipulated by the hands of those who play this game while standing outside my game device and who reach over and rotate said player members P in an effort to keep the ball out of their own goal and drive it towards the goal of their opponents, the gam being played in a manner similar to hockey.

Said player members P consist of a vertical handle 1'4 and a paddle or blade l5 attached thereto and extending substantially horizontally as shown, but following the slant of said board l0, and a lower extension or journal portion l6 that rotatably fits in said holes l3. Said paddle I5 is the part that actually contacts and drives the ball, responding to' the rotation or twirling of said handle l4 by the fingers of the persons playing the game.

Directly below said playing board ill are two bearing straps it that extend widthwise across said board to, which have holes I9 therein that are in alinement with said holes it, to thereby rotatably receive said player member journal portions l6, which extend through said straps it; but terminate at a point higher than the lowest. portion of said board, so that there will be nothing to interfere with their rotation in said holes l3 and I9.

Surrounding said playing board it is a fence 2t at each side and a fence 22 at each end to thereby keep the playing ball on the said board It) at all times. These fences also provide a bottom support for my game. Connecting said side and end fences 2| and 22 are arcuate fence portions 23 that are so formed as to present curved surfaces where right angle corners in said fences 2i and 22 would otherwise be. Each pair of said arcuate fence portions 23 extend in a direction across said board Ill, one towards the other, being spaced apart, leaving an opening bounded on each side by a wall 25 where said arcuate portions 23 terminate, in which opening 24 is a triangular ball-receiving member 26 having an integral top 21, back 28 and slanting front 29, which slants downwardly and rearwardly towards the end fence 22 in which it is set, thereby providing a pocket 30 into which the ball enters and lightly bears against the lower portion of said front 28 when a goal is scored. These ball-receiving memhere 26, are so constructed and located that they appear at first glance to provide a restful seat built into said end fences 22, and are attractive as well as practical, catching and holding the eye the ends of said paddles I5 and the side and end fences 2| and 22 but not suflicient space to permit a playing ball B to pass through. Said player member handles l4 extend substantially higher than the top of said end fence 22 and arcuate fence portions 23 by at least one-third the height of said fences 22 and 23, so the upper portions of said handles M can be grasped and twirled at said higher portion.

What I claim is:

1. A game comprising a playing board of oblong, generally rectangular form, with a fence extending in straight lines along a major portion of the sides thereof and with arcuate portions at the ends of the board extending toward each other to substantially re-entrant angles with end goals having entrances between the adjacent ends of said fence at such re-entrant angles, and playing members mounted on said board embodying paddles adapted for complete circular sweep movements, said paddles being arranged in two pairs adjacent the respective ends of the board, the paddles of each pair having a sweep extending from the sides substantially to the center of the board and over the areas defined by said arcuate fence portions at an end of the board, and the sweep of the pair of paddles adjacent each end of the board being such as to control entry to the goal at that end of the board, the paddles of each pair of playing members being of a length and disposition to engage a ball moving toward any part of the end areas of said board.

2. A game comprising a playing board of ob long, generally rectangular form, with a fence extending in straight lines along a major portion of the sides thereof and with arcuate portions at the ends of the board extending toward each other to substantially re-entrant angles with end goals having entrances between the adjacent ends of said fence at such re-entrant angles, and playing members mounted on said board embody n paddles adapted for complete circular sweep movements, said paddles being arranged in two pairs adjacent the respective ends of the board, the paddles of each pair having a sweep extending from the sides substantially to the center of the board and over the areas defined by said arcuate fence portions at an end of the board, and the sweep of the pair of paddles adjacent each end of the board being such as to control entry to the goal at that end of the board, the paddles of each pair of playing members being of a length and disposition to engage a ball moving toward any part of the end areas of said board, the playing area of the board sloping from its longitudinal center to said arcuate portions at each end of the board whereby the ball tends to move into the areas defined by said arcuate portions and back of the goals from anywhere it may be on the board.

DOUGLAS S. HENDERSON. 

